Comments on: Cargo Cult Development http://mpwilson.com/2010/08/15/cargo-cult-development/ Wed, 23 May 2012 00:01:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: MikeWilson http://mpwilson.com/2010/08/15/cargo-cult-development/#comment-3996 MikeWilson Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:27:27 +0000 http://mpwilson.com/?p=4003#comment-3996 So far we've gone two levels up. It's tough to describe the mindset. They agree that we need the subject matter expert. But they don't see that "having meetings anyway" is pointless. What I smell going on is the customer is getting antsy and they are looking to "show progress" somehow. I could be completely wrong of course, but pressure has to be coming from the business customer. There's no way IT management is driving this. So far we’ve gone two levels up. It’s tough to describe the mindset. They agree that we need the subject matter expert. But they don’t see that “having meetings anyway” is pointless.

What I smell going on is the customer is getting antsy and they are looking to “show progress” somehow. I could be completely wrong of course, but pressure has to be coming from the business customer. There’s no way IT management is driving this.

]]> By: Plurp http://mpwilson.com/2010/08/15/cargo-cult-development/#comment-3994 Plurp Sun, 15 Aug 2010 23:31:18 +0000 http://mpwilson.com/?p=4003#comment-3994 Go talk to your manager. Explain, calmly, two things. (1) the business impact of not getting this knowledge transferred. Managers often (well, sometimes) care about business impact. (2) It is impossible to do this without the woman who actually knows something. It's not about holding meetings. It's about the results of the meetings. (Meetings = bad; results = good!) If that doesn't work, go talk to your manager's manager, her manager, and her manager's manager. Go talk to your manager. Explain, calmly, two things. (1) the business impact of not getting this knowledge transferred. Managers often (well, sometimes) care about business impact. (2) It is impossible to do this without the woman who actually knows something. It’s not about holding meetings. It’s about the results of the meetings. (Meetings = bad; results = good!)

If that doesn’t work, go talk to your manager’s manager, her manager, and her manager’s manager.

]]> By: MikeWilson http://mpwilson.com/2010/08/15/cargo-cult-development/#comment-3993 MikeWilson Sun, 15 Aug 2010 17:12:10 +0000 http://mpwilson.com/?p=4003#comment-3993 One big problem is that my avocation IS my vocation. Perhaps counter-intuitively that makes me less able to deal with this kind of madness. I can't just get through the day so I can start living by my principles again at 5:01. One big problem is that my avocation IS my vocation. Perhaps counter-intuitively that makes me less able to deal with this kind of madness.

I can’t just get through the day so I can start living by my principles again at 5:01.

]]> By: Joan of Argghh! http://mpwilson.com/2010/08/15/cargo-cult-development/#comment-3992 Joan of Argghh! Sun, 15 Aug 2010 16:48:57 +0000 http://mpwilson.com/?p=4003#comment-3992 Dude, Prozac. I got nothin'. You need to have an inspiring avocation so phenomenal that every day you have to put up with the idiocracy you can say to yourself: 4 more hours of this will pay for X amount of pure bliss doing Y. But if you're like most, work is such a defining part of life. We hope it will challenge our enervated psyche and move us forward to . . . something. I think sometimes we are the only people on the planet who have the luxury of thinking like that. I'm pushing papers in order to pay for a bit of a claim on beautiful sunsets, lazy fishing, and some wind in my sails. It used to pay for an art studio and gallery until I was just too tired to do both, and too far in debt to let go of the stable job. Life's too short to expect passion from what we do. Gotta find it in what we pursue. Dude, Prozac.

I got nothin’. You need to have an inspiring avocation so phenomenal that every day you have to put up with the idiocracy you can say to yourself: 4 more hours of this will pay for X amount of pure bliss doing Y.

But if you’re like most, work is such a defining part of life. We hope it will challenge our enervated psyche and move us forward to . . . something. I think sometimes we are the only people on the planet who have the luxury of thinking like that.

I’m pushing papers in order to pay for a bit of a claim on beautiful sunsets, lazy fishing, and some wind in my sails. It used to pay for an art studio and gallery until I was just too tired to do both, and too far in debt to let go of the stable job.

Life’s too short to expect passion from what we do. Gotta find it in what we pursue.

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